第63章

TheideathattheExecutiveisthestewardofthepublicwelfarewasfirstformulatedandgivenpracticaleffectintheForestServicebyitslawofficer，GeorgeWoodruff。Thelawswereofteninsufficient，anditbecamewell-nighimpossibletogetthemamendedinthepublicinterestwhenoncetherepresentativesofprivilegeinCongressgraspedthefactthatIwouldsignnoamendmentthatcontainedanythingnotinthepublicinterest。Itwasnecessarytousewhatlawwasalreadyinexistence，andthenfurthertosupplementitbyExecutiveaction。Thepracticeofexaminingeveryclaimtopubliclandbeforepassingitintoprivateownershipoffersagoodexampleofthepolicyinquestion。Thispractice，whichhassincebecomegeneral，wasfirstappliedintheNationalForests。Enormousareasofvaluablepublictimberlandweretherebysavedfromfraudulentacquisition；morethan250，000acreswerethussavedinasinglecase。

Thistheoryofstewardshipintheinterestofthepublicwaswellillustratedbytheestablishmentofawater-powerpolicy。UntiltheForestServicechangedtheplan，water-powersonthenavigablestreams，onthepublicdomain，andintheNationalForestsweregivenawayfornothing，andsubstantiallywithoutquestion，towhoeveraskedforthem。Atlast，undertheprinciplethatpublicpropertyshouldbepaidforandshouldnotbepermanentlygrantedawaywhensuchpermanentgrantisavoidable，theForestServiceestablishedthepolicyofregulatingtheuseofpowerintheNationalForestsinthepublicinterestandmakingachargeforvaluereceived。Thiswasthebeginningofthewater-powerpolicynowsubstantiallyacceptedbythepublic，anddoubtlesssoontobeenactedintolaw。Buttherewasattheoutsetviolentoppositiontoitonthepartofthewater-powercompanies，andsuchrepresentativesoftheirviewsinCongressasMessrs。TawneyandBede。

ManybillswereintroducedinCongressaimed，inonewayoranother，atrelievingthepowercompaniesofcontrolandpayment。WhenthesebillsreachedmeIrefusedtosignthem；andtheinjurytothepublicinterestwhichwouldfollowtheirpassagewasbroughtsharplytopublicattentioninmymessageofFebruary26，1908。Thebillsmadenofurtherprogress。

Underthesameprincipleofstewardship，railroadsandothercorporations，whichappliedforandweregivenrightsintheNationalForests，wereregulatedintheuseofthoserights。Inshort，thepublicresourcesinchargeoftheForestServicewerehandledfranklyandopenlyforthepublicwelfareundertheclear-cutandclearlysetforthprinciplethatthepublicrightscomefirstandprivateinterestsecond。

ThenaturalresultofthisnewattitudewastheassertionineveryformbytherepresentativesofspecialintereststhattheForestServicewasexceedingitslegalpowersandthwartingtheintentionofCongress。Suitswerebegunwhereverthechancearose。Itisworthrecordingthat，inspiteofthenoveltyandcomplexityofthelegalquestionsithadtoface，nocourtoflastresorthaseverdecidedagainsttheForestService。ThisstatementincludestwounanimousdecisionsbytheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStates(U。S。vs。

Grimaud，220U。S。，506，andLightvs。U。S。，220U。S。，523)。

InitsadministrationoftheNationalForests，theForestServicefoundthatvaluablecoallandswereindangerofpassingintoprivateownershipwithoutadequatemoneyreturntotheGovernmentandwithoutsafeguardagainstmonopoly；andthatexistinglegislationwasinsufficienttopreventthis。WhenthisconditionwasbroughttomyattentionIwithdrewfromallformsofentryaboutsixty-eightmillionacresofcoallandintheUnitedStates，includingAlaska。TherefusalofCongresstoactinthepublicinterestwassolelyresponsibleforkeepingtheselandsfromentry。

TheConservationmovementwasadirectoutgrowthoftheforestmovement。Itwasnothingmorethantheapplicationtoourothernaturalresourcesoftheprincipleswhichhadbeenworkedoutinconnectionwiththeforests。Withoutthebasisofpublicsentimentwhichhadbeenbuiltupfortheprotectionoftheforests，andwithouttheexampleofpublicforesightintheprotectionofthis，oneofthegreatnaturalresources，theConservationmovementwouldhavebeenimpossible。ThefirstformalstepwasthecreationoftheInlandWaterwaysCommission，appointedonMarch14，1907。InmyletterappointingtheCommission，Icalledattentiontothevalueofourstreamsasgreatnaturalresources，andtotheneedforaprogressiveplanfortheirdevelopmentandcontrol，andsaid：“Itisnotpossibletoproperlyframesolargeaplanasthisforthecontrolofourriverswithouttakingaccou

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